In a letter dated October 24th, 1839, Charles Darwin wrote to his cousin William Darwin Fox, asking if he knew “what the motto to our crest is for I mean to have a seal solemnly engraved.” [1] Which, evidently, he did—a letter from Darwin to the Reverend Gilbert Smith dated November 20th, 1840, sports a seal featuring his family crest and motto.

Charles Robert Darwin was born on February 12, 1809, in Shrewsbury, England. He grew up at The Mount, the family home that overlooked the River Severn. His father, Robert Waring Darwin (1766-1848), was a well-respected and successful physician. Darwin’s mother Susannah (1765-1817), died when he was eight years old and he was brought up by his older sisters who took charge of the household.